Ventilated crate



Dec' 3, 1940- R. l-x.` FLETCHER VENTILATEDy CRATE Filed June. 16, 1938 Patented Dec. 3, 1940 invlTEa STATES PATENT vOFFICE l Claims.

My invention relates in general to crates, and particularly to crates which are so designed that when stacked for shipment, sui-table ventilation will beprovided around and through the adjar' cent crates.

One of the objects of my invention has been to, provide a crate having a complete frame at the top and bottom thereof, whereby adequate nailing surface is provided for the slats at the sides, ends, and bottom of the crate, thus resulting in a rigid construction.

Another object has been to provide end strips on the upper frame which are thicker than the end strips on thev bottom frame, whereby ventivlating spaces will be provided.

Moreover, it is an object to .permit the side strips of the bottom frame to extend beyond the end strip of the frame to act as stops or spacers for the bottom frame. Another object has been to provide a construction in which short slats at the bottom and sides maybe used, thus reducing the cost of the crate.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

.Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention, with the cover removed.

Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary, sectional, side elevation` of two crates in shipping position, taken through both crates on a line represented by line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, top, plan View of one cornerfof the crate.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan View of the same corner of the crate showing the bottom of the crate, and taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

My crate comprises a top frame I0 and a bottom frame I I. The top frame comprises two side strips I2 which are joined together by two end strips I3, the end strips being preferably fitted between the side strips. The end strips of the top frame are thicker than the end strips ofthe bottom frame for purposes of ventilation, to be hereinafter described. The dimensions of the end strips are, of course, not material, but for illustrative purposes I may use inch stock for the end strips I3 of the top frame III and inch stock for the end strips I5 of the bottom frame II. The side strips I2 and I4 of the top and bottom frames I0 Iand I I, respectively, may be leinch stock. The width of the stock in the present instance for both end and side strips is about 1%.; inches.

By this construction, it will be obvious from Fig. 2 that when two crates are placed end-toend, the adjacent end strips I3 of the upper frames I0 of the two crates will contact, but that there will vbe a space II between the adjacent end strips I5 of the lower frames II, whereby adequate ventilation will be provided for in between 5 the crates. In order to be assured that adjacent crates will be kept suitably spaced apart, I may allow the ends of the .side stri-ps I4 of the lower frame ,to extend beyond the outer faces of the end strips I5, thus forming projections I6. The l0 length of the side strips I4 of the lower frame II are substantially the'same as the length of the side strips I2 of the upper frame I0, whereby the outer faces of the projections I6 are in line with the ends of the side strips I2 of the top frame IIB. 15 These coacting, abutting projections I6 serve to enclose the outer ends of the space I'I, thus deiining the space and tending to induce a draft of air upwardly therethrough.

It will, therefore, be impossible to bring the 20 end strips I5 of the lower frame of the adjacent crates in contact with each other, thus always providing for ventilation. Obviously, when the adjacent ends I3 are in contact, the faces` of the projections I6 of the two adjacent crates are in 25 abutting relation with each other.

By having complete upper and lower frames II! and I I, respectively, it is possible to manufacture my crate with great-economy for the reason that ample nailing surfaces are provided at both the 30 top and the bottom of the crate and, therefore, i relatively short slats may be used for the bottom as well as the sides and ends of the crate. The slats 20 at the bottom may be extended across from one side stripl4 to the other side strip be- 35 cause of the frame construction. The same thing applies to the side slats 2I and the end slats 22, which slats are secured at their lower ends to the inner faces of the side strips I4 and end strips I5 of the lower frame I I, respectively, and whose up- 40 per ends are secured to the inner faces of the side strips I2 and 'ends I3 of the upper frame I0, respectively.

To give added strength and to reinforce the bottom slats 20, a number of skid slats 23 are 45 placed longitudinally along the bottom of the crate, which are secured to the side and end strips of the bottom frame and preferably to each bottom slat 20.

In Fig. 2, I have shown each crate provided 50 with its cover or lid24, having a cross strip 25 at each end.

From the foregoing it will be clear, as hereinbefore indicated, that when two crates are placed end-to-end, as when being stored or shipped, 55

the end strips I 3 of rthe upper frame I0 may be brought tightly together with the assurance that sufficient ventilation will be provided at the bottoms and sides of the crate and between the adjacent end strips I of the bottom frames Il, and that the end strips I5 will be positively spaced apart, due to the projections IB whose end faces also abut one another when such projections are provided.

While I have shown and described the projections I6, it is obvious that the side strips I4 may extend only to the outer faces of the end strips I5 since, when `each adjacent crate is sitting on its bottom and the relatively thick end strips I3 of the upper frames are in contact, the end strips I 5 of the lower frame will be kept in spaced relation, thus providing the desired Ventilating space.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, thereforegwish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being mere-ly a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A crate comprising a top frame formed of end strips and side strips, the side strips overlapping the end surfaces of the end strips, a lower frame having end strips and side strips, the end strips of the lower frame being thinner than the end strips of the upper frame, the side strips of the lower frame extending beyond the end strips thereof and being coextensive with the side strips of the upper frame, whereby spacing projections are'formed at the ends of the side strips of the lower frame for enclosing the vertical air channel formed between the end strips thereof, and side, end, and bottom walls secured to the end and side strips of the crate frames, said end walls being formed withventilating openings, whereby air currents will be permitted to freely pass upwardly over the ends of the crate and through the openings between the slats thereof. v

2. A crate comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, each frame comprising end strips and side strips extending continuously and hori- Zontally around the crate, side Walls and end walls fastened to and connecting the upper and lower frames, said end walls being formed of interspaced slats to provide suitable Ventilating openings, and a bottom extending across the lower frame, the end strips of the upper frame being thicker than the end strips of the lower frame, `the end strips at each end of the crate being so positioned as to have their inner faces lying in substantially the same vertical plane, the side strips of the lower frame having their end surfaces lying in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer surfaces of the end strips of the upper frame, whereby spacing projections are formed at the ends of lower frames and air currents will be permitted to freely pass upwardly over the ends of the crate and through the openings between the slats thereof.

3. A crate comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, each frame comprising end strips and side strips extending continuously and horizontally around the crate, side Walls and end walls fastened to and connecting the upper and lower frames, said end walls being formed of interspaced slats to provide suitable Ventilating openings, and a bottom extending across the lower frame, the end strips of the upper frame being thicker than the end strips of the lower frame, the end strips at each end of the crate being so positioned as to have their inner faces lying in substantially the same vertical plane, the side strips of the lower frame having their ends extending beyond the outer faces of the end. strips of the lower frame, whereby spacing projections are formed at the ends of lower frames and air currents will be permitted to freely pass upwardly over the ends of the crate and through the openings between the slats thereof.

4. A crate comprising an upper frame and a lower frame of substantially the same inner dimensions, each frame comprising end strips and side strips joined together at the ends and extending continuously and horizontally around the crate, side walls and end walls secured to the inner sides of said upper and lower strips forming the frames and connecting them in spaced relation, said end walls and side walls being formed of vertical, transversely spaced slats to provide suitable Ventilating openings extending 'from the bottom frame to the top frame, and a bottom extending across the lower frame, the end strips of the upper frame being thicker than the end strips of the lower frame, and the corresponding side strips of the upper and lower frames being of substantially the same thickness whereby the end strips of the upper frames of adjacent crates abut one another to space the endstrips of' the lower frames to provide a Ventilating space between said adjacent end pieces of the lower frames, whereby air currents will be permitted to freely pass upwardly over the ends of the crates through the openings between theslats thereof.

RICHARD H. FLETCHER.r 

